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Bracket Fungus As A Coal Carrier

Ken — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 11:45:48 +0000

Recently I found a cluster of red belted conk that was growing on the roots of a tree stump. It is a bracket fungus that is prevalent in Winter often off of decaying wood. As I sought it’s identification from friends and consulted a mushroom reference book it mentioned that The outer band would melt if exposed to a match due to the high sap content. It was an old specimen but I wanted to test this claim.

I lit a match and held it at the edge. No melting took place but eventually an ember appeared and began to smolder. That reminded me of a previous article “smoldering cattails” where natural materials would allow a person to transport a live coal from a previous fire while traveling to the next remote location. Another option for transport is dry punky wood.

I also wanted to test it for catching a spark similar to another bracket fungus “fomes fomentarius” or “amadou” but without success. I am still exploring the structure of bracket fungus for the layer that is best used for these purposes and would welcome any comments from those with experience in harvesting these fungus specimens.

Edible Blewit Mushrooms

Ken — Sat, 18 Nov 2017 12:00:49 +0000

Over the last couple of years I’ve been expanding my awareness of edible mushrooms. I am fortunate to have two mentors who have shared their knowledge and been my go-to folks for positive identification. Although I may not be as pro-active as some foragers I have often found mushrooms on my path of outdoor activities. Recently I observed some interesting mushrooms that were pale lavender or lilac in color that peaked my interest. Coincidentally my friend on social media in a neighboring state posted her find of “Blewit” mushrooms that looked exactly like my discovery so I sent photos of my find to her for identification. After her positive response I knew that I wanted to know more.

Blewit mushrooms have a pale color, often described as blue, lavender, lilac, or mauve, sometimes with a light beige color mixed in, especially as they mature. They often grow in small groups but can also grow as a single mushroom. Their lavender color sets them apart in appearance from similar mushrooms. They have a simple cap, sometimes wavy, a stock, and purple gills. I found mine pushing their way up through landscape mulch. They are known as cooler weather mushrooms that can be found later in the year than other edibles.

I also sent photos to my mentors who confirmed their identification, but because they didn’t actually see the Blewits in person I decided to do a spore print over night. When I do a spore print I cut off the cap and place it gill-side down on top of a sheet of paper that has a black side and white side, that way the spores will be revealed whether they are light or dark in color. Blewits leave a light pinkish/beige print vs. a toxic look-a-like mushroom that produces a dark brown print. As seen in the photo the spore print confirmed that they were Blewits.

Blewits are compared in texture to button mushrooms that you might find in grocery stores. They need to be thoroughly cooked before consumption and their color tends to fade as they are cooked. I fried some up and added them to an omelet… they were delicious! I am so pleased to add blewits to my edibles knowledge and experience. This Fall is a great time to keep a look-out for them, and be sure to pass them by a local expert for positive identification.

The Ringless Honey Mushroom

Ken — Sat, 08 Oct 2016 14:02:34 +0000

About a year ago I discovered an expired clutch of mushrooms that my mentor speculated as being “honey mushrooms”. I was delighted to learn about a new-to-me mushroom but was disappointed that I could not cook them to experience the taste. Finally, a year later, I just found a beautiful cluster and sought to confirm their I.D. to be sure of their edibility.

As I have mentioned in previous articles about mushrooms I advise that if you pursue this endeavor be sure to contact a local mushroom expert who can positively identify them for your own safety. I am grateful to have knowledgeable forayer friends with whom I share my finds and in turn they share theirs and that has helped me to positively identify edible mushrooms as they appear in each new season.

There are essentially two types of honey mushrooms: one variety (armillaria mellea) with rings on the stem and one without rings (armillaria tabescens). They may be found growing on or near hardwood trees, typically oaks. The ones that I found were in the grass near a dead curly maple tree. You can see the caps in the photo. They may be small and rounded, or flat and fully expanded. One important test to identify a honey mushroom is the spore print. When the cap of a mushroom is placed on a dark surface the spores from the gills are dropped and leave a beautiful pattern. The spore of the honey mushroom is white or light buff.

It is advised to fully cook these “honeys” for about 15 minutes because they can cause gastrointestinal discomfort for some. Another approach is to first par-boil them for 5 minutes before cooking them. Often with new-to-me mushrooms I will eat a very small portion at first and wait a day before consuming more as a precautionary measure because of not knowing how they may effect my system. I recommend this approach as a precautionary procedure when you try a new mushroom.

I’m happy to say that they did not adversely effect me and they were quite delicious… of course butter makes many things taste great! Here is a link for you to learn more about these interesting mushrooms – http://blog.crazyaboutmushrooms.com/ringless-honey-mushroom/ .

Wood Ear Mushrooms

Ken — Sat, 28 May 2016 10:56:17 +0000

Wood Ear Mushroom

I have continued to expand my knowledge and first-hand experience in identifying and eating edible mushrooms. What has enabled me to do this is having a mentor who has shared his finds and verified my finds of various fungi in our location. One mushroom that he had recognized but had not pursued due to lack of quantity was in the “jelly fungi” family often known as “wood ear”, “Judas’ ear”, or “Jew’s Ear”. They are typically found on dead attached or fallen wood. He had not sampled any for himself and seemed hesitant to endorse it due to lack of his own personal experience. That in turn made me hesitant to cook some for myself.

I live in a rural region of North Carolina which lacks the population density that usually hosts a wide variety of ethnic markets that support the diversity of it’s residents. While recently visiting my roots in the Bay Area of California I wanted to shop for what I considered more exotic food offerings.

My Find / Market Find

I decided to visit an Asian market and while roaming the produce department happened to discover a packet of “wood ear” mushrooms. I was delighted as it matched the same fungus that I had found in North Carolina and verified it’s edibility. In China and Southeast Asia they are cultivated on a commercial scale and are widely exported in a dried or powdered state as “black fungus”, “cloud ears”, or “wood ears”. The package of wood ears shown in the photo was cultivated in California.

I hailed one of the patrons to ask if they had eaten this and how to prepare it. They had used it in egg rolls and soups. I decided to fry them as I had done for all of my previous finds. Because of their high moisture content they actually began to snap, crackle, and pop much like bacon when it’s fried! It was rather startling! I added them to scrambled eggs for my breakfast. The next morning I decided to add new slices to an egg-drop soup along with chopped green onions. It was delicious.

Having had this experience I am looking forward to eating the local wood ears that I find and this has expanded my range of fungi diet and expanded my culinary pallet with great delight.

Edible Lion’s Mane And Oyster Mushrooms

Ken — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 12:04:52 +0000

As stated in a previous article, I have entered into a season of discovery and education regarding edible mushrooms and in the region where I live the weather conditions have produced a bounty of various fungi. This past week my friend and mentor showed me two distinct mushrooms that add to my edibles list.

I always appreciate when mushrooms are distinctive and thus easy to identify. The Lion’s mane has a hair-like texture and pure white when new. This one was found a couple of feet off of the ground on a maple tree and usually grows where there has been some sort of injury to the tree. When cooked it’s texture is reminiscent of a scallop with a slight tartness at first bite. It is also known as Bear’s Head, Bear’s tooth, Bearded Tooth Mushroom, Satyr’s Beard, Bearded Hedgehog Mushroom, pom pom mushroom and others depending on it’s regional nickname.

Oyster mushrooms can be found on a variety of dead trees, stumps, and rubble. They are white with deep gills having a stem on the edge that attaches to the tree source. It can be slightly tan or buff in color in the Winter months. It has a distinctive fishy smell and when cooked are mild in taste. When I cook them I think of talapia fish because both the oyster and the talapia take on the character of the condiments with which they are prepared.

I’m learning that mushrooms, like flowers and fruit, appear in different seasons of the year. As my focus has turned to mushrooms I have begun to not only recognize their environments but observe their presence. Although it seems to be the tail end of the honey mushroom season I hope to see their possible re-emergence under the right conditions along with other new discoveries as we approach Winter.

I always advocate that if you pursue this field of interest, be sure to contact an expert so that you can verify any of your finds as there are poisonous varieties that you do not want to mistake as edible.

Edible Hen Of The Woods

Ken — Sun, 18 Oct 2015 11:23:42 +0000

My attention this season has focused on edible fungi. Recent rainy weather has brought forth a variety of mushrooms that present opportunities to learn identification of edibles vs. toxic species. I am fortunate to have a mentor that has verified my finds as well as shared some of his.

This week he discovered several “Hen of the woods” at the base of an oak tree. He explained that when they are harvested by cutting the base they can regenerate for multiple future harvests.

A few weeks ago he shared about “Chicken of the woods” and so now I can tell the difference between the “Chicken” and the “Hen” of the woods. The “Chicken” is very colorful with scalloped lobes whereas the “Hen” is a moderate brown with round lobes.

At the end of the day I was able to share the “Hen” with a group of friends who had gathered for a “Stone Soup” dinner. I presented the mushroom in it’s original form for display and educational purposes but also a portion was added to the soup. It was well received with bits and pieces being tasted off the display piece, and of course comments on it’s beauty too.

If you plan on exploring the world of mushrooms and fungi be sure to connect with an expert in the field who can positively identify your finds and teach you what is safe to eat and what is not.